John robertson



(ModeL) J. ROBERTSON.

UISTERN.

Patented Aug. 9, 1881.

N. PETERS. PhaloLflhugmpher. Washington. 0.0.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ROBERTSON, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

CISTERN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,318, dated August9, 1881.

Application filed April 6, 1881. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN ROBERTSON, of Montreal, in the Dominion ofCanada, have invented an Improvement in Oisterns or Supply- Tanks forWater-Closets and the like, of which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a vertical central section of my improved cistern. Fig. 2 isa plan or top view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section onan enlarged scale, showing the construction of the valve for regulatingthe inflow of water. Figs. 4 and 5 are vertical sections ofmodifications of the same.

This invention relates to a new arrangement of parts for regulating thedischarge of a given quantity of water from a cistern or tank, and atthe same time the flow of water into such cistern or tank.

The invention is applicable to cisterns or tanks used abovewater-closets, or wherever a certain quantity of water is wanted, and nomore.

The invention consists, first, in combining with the supply-tank orcistern a balanced float-valve, which is so constructed that when it ison its seat it will not float, but as soon as it is raised off its seata certain distance the area of the valve-seat is added to its floatingpower, and it will remain floating till the water gets down low'enoughto uncover an equal area of the valve-seaton top of float, when it willdescend on its seat and remain there till raised by the action of thecloset-handle and trip. The object of the trip in connection with thetank is that as soon as the floating valve is tripped up the ball isleft free to drop as soon as enough water is run out to uncover thefloating valve. The amount of wateris regulated by the capacity of thetank and the pressure of the inlet-valve.

Theinvention also consists in combining with said balanced float-valveanother upper float, which by its own movements controls the inflow ofwater into the tank or cistern, and in further details of improvementwhich are hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, with special reference to Figs. 1, 2, and3, the letter Arepresents the supply-tank, which may be of any 50suitable form, although the'cylindrical form is preferred. It is made ofmetal or other material and connects at its upper end with thewater-supply pipe 0, and at its lower end with the water-discharge pipeD. The water-supplypipeOentersavalve-chamber,G,into which is placed atubular valve-seat, a, that bears from below against a leather ring orother packing, which is in contact with the lower end of the pipe 0, asis more fully shown in Fig. 3. The inlet-valve H enters thevalve-chamber G from below, and presses against the tubular valve-seatn, the face of the valve being provided with suitable packing to insurea tight joint. The stem i of the valve H extends downward below thevalve-chamber G into the body of the tank A, and rests on a lever, g,which is pivoted within said tank, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 1.If a greater or less stream of water is desired, the valve-seat piece ais taken out, which is easily done by unscrewing the cap-nut at the topof the chamber G, and is then replaced by another valveseat piece havingan aperture of the requisite diameter. From the valve-chamber G thewater flows into the lower part of the tank A 7 through a pipe, 7c,whose open lower end is but a short distance above the bottom of thetank A. The lever Gr, upon which rests the stem dot the valve H, restsits free end on a float, F, which float, when the tank A has therequisite normal quantity of water, is raised sufficiently high to causethe valve H to close, as indicated in Fig. 1; but when the supply ofwater in the tank A is below a given point the float F drops upon asuitable cross-bar, l, or support,

and allows the lever g to follow it, causing the valve H to be openedand the water-supply to be started.

The upper end of the outlet-pipe D, which is raised slightly above thebottom of the tank A, is normally closed by means of a balancedfloatvalve, B, which float-valve B is connected by a rod, 4", with theoperating-lever E of the tilting mechanism. The float-valve B is of suchconstruction that when the tank A has its requi- 5 site supply of water,as shown in Fig. 1, the floating valve B, having lost its floating powerby being on its seat D, the weight of the water and its own weight willkeep the float-valve B on the pipe D, preventing the discharge of moliquid from the tank; but when by means of the lever E the float-valve Bis raised into the body of water it will, when so raised to a sufficientheight, permit the water which then is below it to keep it afloat, andit will not then again descend upon the pipe D until the contents of thetank have been lowered to an extent sufiicient to uncover enough of thefloatvalve as will make it lose its floating power. The float-valve willthen by its own gravity again reach the pipe D and close the outlet. Therod by preference, passes through a tubular central guide, 8, which isformed within and part of the float F, as shown. The float F, in orderto preventit from collapsing, should have at its upper part a smalloutlet-opening, 0, covered by a cap-piece, p, as indicated in Fig. l; orthe opening 0 can be made in the guide sin the inside of the float F atits highest point.

a is the overflow-pipe, reaching from the normal level of the water inthe tank to the lower part of the tank, andjoining the pipe D below theseat for the fioatvalve B, as is clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The float-valve B may have a suitable downwardly-extending stem, 1),which is guided in a proper socket formed within the pipe D, as shown,and which at its lower end has an adjustable cap or nut, c, thatregulates the extent to which the float-valve B can be raised by meansof the lever E.

It will be observed that the diameter of the outlet-pipe D is muchgreater than that of the supply-pipe G, which is an important factor inthe operation of my apparatus.

The apparatus thus far described operates substantially as follows:Supposing the tank to be filled with water to the upper end of the pipea, the float-valve B to be held to its seat on the pipe D by the loss ofits floating power and weight of water on top of it, the inletvalve H tobe also closed by the buoyancy of the float F, if the water is now to bedischarged, the lever B is moved on its pivot and the floatvalve Braised, thereby allowing the water to rush down into the pipe D. Beingonce raised, the float-valve B remains in the elevated position, itbeing so balanced that the water which is beneath it in the elevatedposition will have the power of buoying it or holding it raised. As thewater escapes through the pipe D the float F gradually descends until itrests on the cross-bar l, dropping the lever g and causing the valve Hto open and the inlet-pipe to admitwater to the tank; but the stream ofwater which thus enters the tank at the same time that the tank isdischarging through the pipe D is smaller than the stream of water whichleaves the tank, so that there is no possible danger of the tankbecoming refilled while the pipe D is open; but, on the contrary, by myarran gement I am enabled, while the float-valve B is raised, to drawnotonly the actual contents of the tank, but also a suitable proportion offresh water from the pipe O. As the level of the water in the tank Afinally recedes from below the center of the float-valve B, the latterdrops by its own weight back upon the pipe D, and the discharge of waterfrom the tank now ceases, whereas the supply of fresh water to the tankcontinues, and the more water there is being added to the tank the moresecurely will the flOQDVQIXG B'be pressed down upon its seat. As soon asthe water reaches to the level of the overflow-pipe the float F rises toits normal position, and, lifting the lever g, raises the valve H to itsseat and stops further inflow of water.

In the modifications shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the upper float, F, isdispensed with, but the balanced float-valve B and its connection withthe leverE retained. These modifications have reference only to the useof my invention in large cisterns which are to supply the tanks A thatare placed into them. Thus in Fig. 4 the cistern L contains acomparatively small tank, A, which has the pipe D closed by thefloat-valve B exactly as the tank A, which is shown in Fig. 1; but theinflow of water into the tank A from the cistern L is through the pipe0, that enters the tank A near its bottom.

The device shown in Fig. 4 operates as fol lows: The tank A being fullof water, the floatvalve B can be raised by means of the lever E, andthe water discharged from the tank A through the pipe D, which is largerthan the inlet-opening C. When the contents of the tank A have beensufliciently withdrawn the balanced floatvalve B drops byits own weightback to its seat, and the tankA is then refilled through the inlet 0.

The rod 0', which is shown in Fig. 4, reaches the lever E through atubular extension, q, of the tank A.

a is the overflow and air pipe for the cistern L, and reaches from theupper part of said cistern to the pipe D, below the valveseat of thelatter, as shown.

The modification which is shown in Fig. 5 consists simply in making theoverflow and air pipe a serve the purpose of a stem for the float-valveB. In this case the pipe at has apertures a. at its upper part, asindicated, so that the excess of water may pass down through the pipe atfrom the body of the cistern L.

I claim 1. The combination of the tank A,'having outlet-pipe D andinlet-pipe O, the inlet-pipe being of less diameter than theoutlet-pipe, with the balanced float-valve B, rod r, and lever E, allarranged so that the floatvalve B will be held to its seat by the weightof water above, and, when raised into a full supply of water, held 0Eits seat by the water below it, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the tank A, having outlet-pipe D and inlet-pipe O,of smaller diameter, with the float -valve B, rod 1', and lever E, andwith the overflow-pipe a, which reaches from the upper part of the tankA to the pipe D below the seat of the float-valve, substantially asspecified.

IIO

3. The combination of the tank A, having outlet-pipe D at the lowerpart, with the balanced float -valve B, and with mechanismrE for liftingthe same, substantially as specified.-

6. The combination of the tank A and its outlet-pipe D, havingvalve-seat, with the bal- 15 anced float-valve B mechanism 7 E forlifting the same, and with the guide I) and stop 0 on said float-valve,substantially as herein shown and described.

J OHN ROBERTSON.

Witnesses E. G. WELLS, PATRICK GORMAN.

